Google wireless charging orb finally available for Nexus 4 devices

Get yours for $59.99 but be prepared to wait on Google for shipping info.

The Nexus 4 Wireless Charger is finally available for purchase through the Google Play store for $59.99, almost three months after the handset’s initial launch. The orb-shaped charger works similar to other wireless charging docks by utilizing the Qi inductive power charging standard.

However, unlike handsets such as the Nokia Lumia 920, the Nexus 4 does not lay flat on the device to charge. Rather, it sits at an angle. This is made possible by strategically placed magnets inside both the dock and the Nexus 4 that secure the handset to the device. Once it’s docked, the Nexus 4 goes into Daydream mode and can display photos, aggregated information from applications like Google Currents, a clock, or various "screensavers." This feature is currently only available in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Though the charging station is available for purchase today, the Google Play store notes it will "ship soon."

Florence Ion / Florence was a former Reviews Editor at Ars, with a focus on Android, gadgets, and essential gear. She received a degree in journalism from San Francisco State University and lives in the Bay Area.

What is so complicated about plugging in a wire? If you have to bring a device into physical contact anyway, why in the world would you pay extra money AND do it in a way that's power-inefficient? This might seem cool, but what's the practical benefit? I don't see it.

I honestly don't get this. This is not ready for prime time. It is slower at charging than a normal plug and you still have to make physical contact with the station. And it costs 5x as much as a normal charger and is far less portable. I don't understand why plugging the phone is so tough. I get that something like this is probably the way of the future, but not now.

That's cool, but I wouldn't want to have to buy a new charger every time I changed phones. These need to be completely standard.

Looks to me like Qi is becoming the new standard.

True... but this charger relies on magnets to keep the phone from sliding off, AFAIK most Qi compatible devices don't have this so while the phone compatible with other Qi chargers, this charger isn't compatible with most phones (unless you find a way to tilt it horizontally).

What is so complicated about plugging in a wire? If you have to bring a device into physical contact anyway, why in the world would you pay extra money AND do it in a way that's power-inefficient? This might seem cool, but what's the practical benefit? I don't see it.

Wireless charging is why I got myself a Lumia 920 -- After two years on contract with my previous phone, an email would cause the charge cable to fall out of a seriously loose socket.

I guess I mostly agree that I don't really "get" wireless charging. It's no more or less convenient than something like a wired dock or similar cabled connection.

Now, if they could produce a wireless charging system where the phone just needed to be near the charging base, rather than directly on it, that would be cool. Like, "if the phone is sitting anywhere on my desk, it's charging." ... of course, the electrical field required to do so would probably boil your reproductive organs, but, it might be worth it.

I love the looks of the orb and it would be more convenient to just place my Nexus 4 on the orb at night instead plugging in the orientation dependent micro USB plug, but with the over $70 price (after taxes and shipping) I cannot justify buying this accessory.

Hoping this will be available for the next Nexus.. really like the idea of putting one of these on my nightstand to charge my phone

Having said that, I'm completely disappointed in Google and their accessory availability.. on top of this delay, there are accessory delays for the Nexus7.. and I'm still waiting for the smart cover and dock for the Nexus10.. not going to stop me from buying them (unless Apple makes some big changes), but this really shouldn't be that hard, no? They can't make the leap into the primetime without ironing out these kinds of issues, until then they're stuck with just selling to geeks like me (unless they're fine with that)

That's cool, but I wouldn't want to have to buy a new charger every time I changed phones. These need to be completely standard.

Looks to me like Qi is becoming the new standard.

True... but this charger relies on magnets to keep the phone from sliding off, AFAIK most Qi compatible devices don't have this so while the phone compatible with other Qi chargers, this charger isn't compatible with most phones (unless you find a way to tilt it horizontally).

Hmmm, good point. I guess a normal charging pad would be more practical, especially if you get more Qi devices. Wouldn't be as cool looking, though...

I guess I mostly agree that I don't really "get" wireless charging. It's no more or less convenient than something like a wired dock or similar cabled connection.

Anywhere that would be easy and convenient to plug in my phone has a serious issue of 'cable dropping behind shit'. It's also a longer process than simply dropping the phone on a charging surface, requires multiple cables for multiple devices, requires multiple outlets for multiple devices. There are Qi (or other inductive standard) pads that support multiple devices (up to 3 is the usual max).

This charger is only nominally "better" than plugging in a device (though it does solve the 'cable dropping behind shit' problem). Other, multidevice, charger pads can be significantly better.

Besides. Walking in the door simply dropping my phone on the table and knowing it will be charging is cool.

I'm quite perplexed by the "this device is silly!" reaction this is getting all over the web. The $400 always-connected quad-core computer with a camera and GPS that fits in your pocket and makes phone calls.. that's not too frivolous or silly. But the $60 plastic wedge that charges it wirelessly?! Now THAT'S going overboard!

Are you sure it's magnetic? With a rubbery surface and a glossy phone, friction may be enough.

This is a lot to pay for saving some wear on the usb port, but it would be kinda nice on the desk or nightstand, especially as the battery degrades with age. For now, believe it or not, I often go two days on a charge!

This reminds me of the touchstone charger I had for my Palm Pre (and rigged to work with my EVO). Good to see it starting to re-gain momentum. Most of the folks commenting are saying they don't see the point. It's really not leaps and bounds above manually plugging a cable in everytime to charge but once you use it you'll really appreciate it's simplicity. Also, they came out with some pretty sweet uses for the phone while in dock mode. I had an LCARS display that would run while docked.

I work with my phone sitting on a stand under my monitor. I have to access it a lot throughout the day for 2-factor tokens as well as other things. Having something that will keep the phone topped off, not require me to be plugging / unplugging a cable because of having the screen on a lot during the day and other things is a bonus. Besides, having it an angle will mean that I can actually see the screen without having to hold it.

Being the owner of a Nokia 920 with a charging plate beside my bed, I can tell you it is TOTALLY worth it. In my situation, I no longer have to fumble in the dark, trying not to wake up the wife while I locate the right power cord and plug in my phone. I just put the phone down and go to sleep.

Obviously this is NOT the only way to charge your phone!! I still use the USB port on my phone to charge it when I'm away from home.

Is a charging plate as efficient at charging with a cable? No. Does it make the slightest bit of difference to me, since my phone is still fully charged when I wake up in the morning? Again, no.

Are you being forced to purchase this additional accessory with your new phone? Yet again, no.

Being the owner of a Nokia 920 with a charging plate beside my bed, I can tell you it is TOTALLY worth it. In my situation, I no longer have to fumble in the dark, trying not to wake up the wife while I locate the right power cord and plug in my phone. I just put the phone down and go to sleep.

Obviously this is NOT the only way to charge your phone!! I still use the USB port on my phone to charge it when I'm away from home.

Is a charging plate as efficient at charging with a cable? No. Does it make the slightest bit of difference to me, since my phone is still fully charged when I wake up in the morning? Again, no.

Are you being forced to purchase this additional accessory with your new phone? Yet again, no.

This is the attitude of everyone I've met who has ever used wireless charging, be it Nokia, Palm, or whatever device. It is just easier.

I looked at purchasing one for my Wife's Nexus 4, but not for sale in Canada yet. For those looking at yet another reason for this: My wife REFUSES to plug in her phone to charge, she doesn't seem to be able to grasp the concept of keeping her phone charged at all. Usually she will plug it in to charge, but only once it is dead, never before. If I see her phone laying around I always plug it in. I have even installed an outlet with built in USB ports on our Kitchen island for easy access to charging (since that is where our phones end up ) This would be well worth it making MY life easier let alone hers If she could just walk in and plop her phone on it as she came in the door, it would not only stay charged, she would be able to find it . Of course I say this, and once I purchase it, it will sit on the counter or bedside without her phone ever touching it unless I put it there.

I guess I mostly agree that I don't really "get" wireless charging. It's no more or less convenient than something like a wired dock or similar cabled connection.

Now, if they could produce a wireless charging system where the phone just needed to be near the charging base, rather than directly on it, that would be cool. Like, "if the phone is sitting anywhere on my desk, it's charging." ... of course, the electrical field required to do so would probably boil your reproductive organs, but, it might be worth it.

might.

For some reason, people don't think that wired docks with contact pins on the phone is the right thing to do.

Given the tilt and the need for magnets, seems like this dock is no more proprietary than other docks.

If they went for a non-slip surface on the orb, so that someone could place any qi-compatible device for charging, that could be neat.

I'm an Android user (Galaxy SIII, Nexus S, OG Droid (sold), and I have an Asus Transfomer) but I think is seriously foolhardy to buy any accessories for Android devices.. it is something that makes me continually jealous of the Apple devices.

Why would you buy this when it is almost guaranteed that in ~ 6 months Google will introduce a new phone (Nexus 5?) that will both be incompatible with this charger and cause software support to lag for the Nexus 4?

Apple had their big change with the new Lightning connector or whatever it's called but overall they have built an ecosystem of compatible accessories simply by keeping to a standard AND they are better at software support for the older devices... Android you are pretty much stuck buying new accessories when you switch devices, or using accessories that are kind of gross because they have to be designed to be universal.

What is so complicated about plugging in a wire? If you have to bring a device into physical contact anyway, why in the world would you pay extra money AND do it in a way that's power-inefficient? This might seem cool, but what's the practical benefit? I don't see it.

OK, I'll bite. Granted that my use case is not something everyone needs, however... I am getting "long arm disease" (better known as age related farsightedness.) This means I have those drug store "reading glasses" laying around all over the house. In the evening, it is worse. I go into my office to plug in my phone and find that I need to grab a pair of glasses to figure out which way the plug goes. Screw that. With the wireless charging I just drop it on the pad (I use the energizer "three position" one that has two wireless charging pads). It is a lot quicker for me than grabbing the plug, grabbing some glasses, plugging it in, and setting it down. I just need to set it on the pad. It is really quite a bit easier for me. Not everyone needs this though.

I guess I mostly agree that I don't really "get" wireless charging. It's no more or less convenient than something like a wired dock or similar cabled connection.

Now, if they could produce a wireless charging system where the phone just needed to be near the charging base, rather than directly on it, that would be cool. Like, "if the phone is sitting anywhere on my desk, it's charging." ... of course, the electrical field required to do so would probably boil your reproductive organs, but, it might be worth it.

might.

For some reason, people don't think that wired docks with contact pins on the phone is the right thing to do.

Apparently so, the Nexus 7 still doesn't have a dock despite the pins. The Nexus Galaxy has a dock and I bought three of them so I can have one at work, plugged into my speakers there, one on my home amplifier, and one beside my bed hooked up to that amplifier. Hopefully the next phone I get will offer a similar solution, as just a charging station won't quite fill the need for me. Before I had a dock, I was using a Bluetooth adapter and a cord, and that's not nearly as convenient and also suffered from occasional interference.

I don't understand why this needs to be explained. It's a dock. You put your phone on it. It looks more elegant than taping a cable to your desk (or not tape it, and have it constantly fall down) and leaving your phone flat on your desk, wasting space and looking very untidy.

If you can't appreciate the convenience of having a dock to neatly put your phone on then fine, don't buy it. But please stop the retarded comments like "durr hurr what's so hard about plugging a cable lol"

I've owned several Android phones, starting with the G1, Tmobile G2(HTC Vision), and then the Galaxy Nexus. The G1 had a mini usb connector which was great. It went in smoothly, was easy to insert even in the dark, and as far as I am concerned only had the drawback that it became loose over time and would easily pop out at the end of life. When I got the G2 it had the micro usb connector and that was good because it has a positive click to let you know its connected, but its slightly more difficult to know right from wrong, especially in the dark. Move on to the Galaxy Nexus and this problem is the same, plus the connector is cheap. It wore out over time due to many insertions and removals, and at the end I had to do some balancing tricks to get the connector to work sometimes. I should have gotten the dock for it but I never got around to it and now its no longer available. I now have the Nexus 4, and while it definitely seems like it has a better connector (metal versus plastic), why wear it out or fumble with it when I can just plop it on a pad?

Granted there are less expensive alternatives that feature more charge points but I like the way this is angled for easy reading.

For those asking why wireless charging. have never had a charging port crack, a cable connector work loose, etc.

my nook color the microUSB charging port the cable has issues. if the cable isn't dangling at just the right angle it doesn't maintain contact and the device doesn't charge.

I have burned out 3 usb power charging hubs because the connectors work loose and stop making solid contact.

my iPhone is great but since apple keeps changing the phone size it doesn't fit into any of the doc connectors properly. There for it doesn't work with my car's dock connector unless the phone is at a really random angle.

Wireless charging while less efficient will save money as you can have a platform in your glove box, dash etc that can charge your phone, or any of your friends phones. No digging for cables, no going oh I don't have that one. Car, Home, Office, no more broken connectors and no more useless cables.

A lot of people seem to be missing the fact that, being Qi, this will be far more universal than previous attempts at inductive charging. The magnet setup even sounds extremely similar to touchstone docks.

DavidinAla wrote:

What is so complicated about plugging in a wire? If you have to bring a device into physical contact anyway, why in the world would you pay extra money AND do it in a way that's power-inefficient? This might seem cool, but what's the practical benefit? I don't see it.

Simplicity. Just drop the phone on it. As it's angled, they also serve as a dock. So you walk up to your desk, drop your phone on the charger, and it switches to a dock mode and starts charging.

I've been halfassedly working to retrofit a stripped-out touchstone coil to my galaxy nexus, with moderate success. I need a different case.

jhwallace wrote:

I honestly don't get this. This is not ready for prime time. It is slower at charging than a normal plug and you still have to make physical contact with the station. And it costs 5x as much as a normal charger and is far less portable. I don't understand why plugging the phone is so tough. I get that something like this is probably the way of the future, but not now.

You don't _have_ to use it. But if you like desktop docks, a wireless stand like this is damned convenient, and easier. And even if it's slower, who cares, if the phone's going to sit there for half a day anyway? Or use it next to the bed as an alarm clock.

I like my overpriced Fatboy charger for my Lumia 920 and I understand that it's inefficient and so on but it works... and it looks good. And I wont wear out the microUSB port...

This looks good and is great it's based on the Qi standard but the magnet part makes it slightly less awesome... But the only reasons for not wanting it is, it might fall of, it is less efficient, it's more expensive... And the magnets kinda defeats the first problem...(but more manufactures need to implement something like it)The other two you just have to choose efficiency and value or convenience...It is a dock and if you don't want it you can use a cable...

And people if "Next Nexus" will be incompatible it will only be because of the magnets since it's Qi based and all Qi based are compatible... It's a standard...Wait until Apple make one and call it "fantastic" and "magical" and then sue everyone else... That one will be incompatible because well Apple...